Myriad recent cultural and political events—among them the debris surrounding the 2016 US election, the #metoo movement, and the latest Supreme Court confirmation hearings—have reawakened a public discussion on the centuries-old power structure that contemplates the unabated supremacy of white men.
The label “white man” is now actively used in public discourse and acknowledged as part of identity politics, instead of remaining, as the baseline for all definitions, largely unmentioned. Nowadays, it is often even used pejoratively and as a stereotyping tactic. This time of reckoning has however also sensitized public opinion to the fact that white men, like any other identity, are not a monolithic group, and therefore a more nuanced approach is required for a constructive debate and for the health of our society.
Join an important and nuanced conversation in this MoMA R&D Salon hosted by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design and Director of Research & Development at MoMA, with speakers (in alphabetical order):
Rich Benjamin: Anthropologist and political commentator, author of Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America, a 2009 study that has illuminated the rise of white anxiety and white nationalism.
Whitney Dow: Filmmaker and educator, he has been producing and directing films focused on race and identity for almost two decades. His current focus is on the Whiteness Project, an interactive investigation into how Americans who identify as white, or partially white, understand and experience their race.
Aruna D’Souza: Writes about modern and contemporary art; intersectional feminisms and other forms of politics; and how museums shape our views of each other and the world. Her most recent book Whitewalling: Art, Race, and Protest in 3 Acts (Badlands Unlimited), reflects on three incidents in the long and troubled history of art and race in America.
Justin Stanwix: Co-founder of Wonder Unit, a new model of movie studio, he has a background in the technology sector, and is currently an ambassador for the non-profit art space Pioneer Works, co-chairs the Creative Time ambassadors and is a member of the ProjectART Advisory Council.
The presentations are accompanied by a series of 1-minute videos cut specifically for Salon 30.
MoMA Research & Development provides information and critical tools to identify and explore new directions and opportunities for MoMA and the broader museum field. Learn more: http://momarnd.moma.org/salons/
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The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speakers alone, and do not represent the views of The Museum of Modern Art, its personnel, or any artist.
Image: © Angélica Dass Extract of Humanæ – Work in progress.
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